The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-12
4 Woman of Business.

Catherine Hawkins says in the New
York NaU and Express: A lady who is
the editor of two periodicals devoted to
art and decorative matters said to herself
some months ago, and then to the pro
prietOr OF those papers: "There are hun
dreds and hundreds Of people who would
like to have their wall papers, their car
pets and their curtains bought for them
from New York stores, where they can
have the advantage of selecting, by
proxy, from large aSsOrtml She
was sure this was true because her papers
received SO many letters asking foTadviCc
about such things. The proprietOrs
agreed with her, and at her suggestion
a supply department was organized in
connection with the papers, the entire
charge Of which was put into her hands.
10 special pains have been taken to ad
vertise it, but it has steadily grown and
prospcred until ROW this cnterprising
woman finds herself almost buried under
its increasing claims. | asked her the
other day where her orders mostly came
from:
From all over the country" she re
piled. Il have a good many from New
York city itself from people who are
readers of our papers, or who know of
them, and who feel more confidence in
the judgement of some one connected
with them than in their own. But the
majority of the orders, of course, come
from people who live in other cities and
in small towns. And our customers live
in all parts of the counUry-North, East,
South and Vest
''What do you buy for them, and do
Won f11r,,iS yT-bola hOISaC or pr1v
detached things:"
Il buy everything wall paper, furni-
ture, carpets, curtains, rugs, everything
that goes towards the artistic furnishing
of a house, and in whatever quantity is
desired, whether it is the entire furnish
ing of a whole house or a curtain for a
single window. Not infrequently I get
a letter that Will read like this: I have
Just finished a new house and want tC
have it tastefullv furnished, and so | will
put it entirely into your hands. Use
your own taste and judgment about the
whole matter Such responsibility as
that put upon the shoulders of ones
taste is not calculated to make life ar
easy matter, but so far there has been
10 complaint about the results, and the
business has steadily grown. Then
have orders for single articles of all kinds
in which | am sometimes given carte
blanche and am sometimes required tc
match shades for hangings or upholstery
that have taken a days search all over
the city before they could be found"
DO you do the buying yOurself?"
"No, except to direct it from my
desk. | have purchaser who was il
the cmpioyo of one of the largest drygood'
houses in the city, who brings mt
samples of all such goods as I shall need
so that l keep constantly at hand Il com
pIetc epitomc, as it were, of what is OF
the counters aud shelves Of all the larg,
shops in the city. From these l make
selections, match shades, make cOmbina
lions and give orders for purchases
She has Just extended her department
TO include the mounting of fans, anC
though this has been in operation bu
two or three weeks she has alrcad,
found large demand for this kind o
work ready and eager to take advantag
of her offer